AIDS Poll Finds Males Get Better Care

A survey of 476 physicians indicates that one in four people with HIV is not being treated according to the latest medical guidelines. The survey also showed that women and minorities are most at risk for receiving lesser care. The National HIV/AIDS Treatment Survey, conducted by Johns Hopkins University in conjunction with the University of California at San Francisco, also found that physicians with the least experience in treating HIV/AIDS tend to wait longer and prescribe fewer medications than recommended by Health and Human Services guidelines. Women and minorities receive their treatment from these doctors in disproportionate numbers.

Many of the patients (particularly women) are not being treated until they show signs of disease progression, which could put them in significant danger of getting life-threatening opportunistic infections. The data showed that white males are generally treated aggressively, before the appearance of symptoms. In addition, nearly 90 percent of the doctors, experienced in treating HIV, prescribed protease inhibitor therapy. Only 60 percent of unexperienced providers prescribed protease as part of a combination therapy strategy for their patients.